Two Hours
by CarsonAvery1234
Summary: Depending on what a person is doing in that time, two hours can feel like anything from twenty years to two blinks of an eye. Strung up like a slab of meat in a decrepit old warehouse getting a rather good thrashing, two hours begins to feel more like two hundred years. This was not how Dick had planned this night to go. [one-shot; no slash; written by TheOneThatGotAway99]


**Two Hours**

_By: TheOneThatGotAway99 Edited by: CarsonAvery1234_

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Two hours.

Depending on what a person is doing in that time, two hours can feel like anything from twenty years to two blinks of an eye.

Strung up like a slab of meat in a decrepit old warehouse getting a rather good thrashing, two hours begins to feel more like two _hundred_ years.

Nightwing braced himself for the next fist to his abdomen, grunting slightly as the air was expelled from his lungs again. The chains wrapped tightly around his mostly numb hands rattled from the blow, the metal long since warmed by the mild heat coming off the bare skin of his wrists. His gloves, belt, and boots had all been removed at the same time his arms had been bound. He had kept his mask purely by luck of a coin flip; Two-Face was nothing if not fair when it came to his coin, but that was where his luck ran out tonight.

If you can call being ambushed, drugged, kidnapped, and then beaten for two hours, luck.

At least he was still alive, as much a consolation as that might have been at that moment.

Another punch to the stomach had him swinging on his chain before he had fully regained his breath from the previous blow. The tips of his toes just brushed the rough concrete flooring, having been raised on a pulley until he could only barely touch the ground. This left the total sum of his not insignificant weight hanging solely by his arms.

He grit his teeth to keep from making any noise as his ribs protested another punch to the gut, and his right arm – the elbow of which he believed to be dislocated from all the yanking, jerking, and twisting occurring during his rather precarious position – throbbed horribly with the motion.

"Enough," called Two-Face in his rough drawl to his henchmen, and the beating abruptly stopped. Dent stepped up close to Nightwing, right hand fisted on the front of his uniform, left hand flipping his coin repeatedly. "Where's the Bat?" he growled in Nightwing's face.

"What, I'm not good enough for you? Harv, I'm hurt, truly." Dick smiled cheekily.

Two-Face glanced at his coin as it landed in his hand this time, before balling his fingers around it and sending his fist crashing into Nightwing's cheek.

The brutal punch left Dick's ears ringing and caused the inside of his cheek to split open against his teeth. Blood filled his mouth, but he ignored it. Smiling once more, his red stained teeth gleamed in the harsh lighting.

This was not how he had planned this night to go. Halfway through his patrol, he had been on his way to meet Jason. Five minutes 'til the rendezvous, Nightwing had received information on Two-Face's latest scheme, the robbery of a jewelry store owned and operated by a pair of twin brothers. With Batman and Robin busy with Poison Ivy, and Red Robin out of town, Nightwing had been the only one available to respond, seeing as Red Hood made it a point to only use their comms when it was absolutely necessary and was, therefore, unreachable.

Turns out the lead had been a trap for Batman, but Nightwing was unwitting enough to have been the one to spring it.

Fast forward one baddie brawl, three chlorophorm filled breaths, and two hours of punches to the gut, wrenching of his arms, and dangling like a metaphorical worm on a literal hook, and here he was.

No, what he had planned was an hour or two long conversation with his wayward brother; both about Jason's most recent date with Alialee as well as Dick's newly gathered information on the Joker's whereabouts.

Instead, he's stuck here, wishing he had a breath mint to give Two-Face, who seemed intent on breathing right in his face.

"Where is Batman?" he snarled, making Dick scrunch his nose in mock disgust.

Seriously, what had he been eating? Pickled herring and onions? Baby diapers and gym shorts? Bleck!

"Man, when was the last time you brushed your teeth? Three years ago? Four?" Nightwing questioned, turning his face away in search of fresher air.

Another coin flip, another punch to the face that left his senses reeling for a moment.

"Your luck is running out, same as my patience," Two-Face growled. "Answer the question, or the next decision for the coin will be whether to shoot you in the head or the heart."

"Come on, Dent. You and I have a history. Haven't we been through this enough times that you've learned by now that no matter what you do to me, I won't tell you anything that I don't want to tell you? So even if I knew where Batman is, I wouldn't tell you," Dick replied, slowly, as though explaining something obvious to a three year old. "Now, I don't know about you but I have somewhere else to be."

"Eager to die?" Two-Face asked in an angry drawl.

"Eh, something like that. Previous engagement, hate to keep 'em waiting. You know how it is," Nightwing stalled, rather unsuccessfully, as Two-Face shoved him roughly and took a step back.

He grasped the coin tightly for a moment before tossing it up into the air. As the coin reached its peak height and began its descent, Nightwing kicked out at the spinning disc. Aim true, he sent the coin flying across the room. Dick yelped at the pain he knew the move would cause his aching body; but the difference between knowing and experiencing was like the difference between mint chip ice cream and Brussel sprouts. But it was worth it as Two-Face went running after the coin, leaving his thugs to stand there glancing around, unsure of what to do.

Just as Nightwing was once again faced with figuring out how to get out of his uncomfortable predicament, a gunshot broke the uncertain atmosphere. Thugs began to drop as more gunshots rang out. Those remaining bolted for the door.

With the opposition scattered, battered and fleeing, a figure jumped from a broken window, landing with a quiet thud in front of the still hanging Nightwing, red helmet firmly in place.

"Didja miss me?" asked Red Hood and Dick could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Took you long enough," Nightwing replied, resisting the urge to slump in relief. "What, were you an hour late for our meeting?"

"Hour and a half," Hood corrected absently as he worked on freeing his brother. "Figured you just got bored and left 'til you wouldn't answer your comm."

"Fell out when I was ambushed," Dick supplied.

"Knew something had to be wrong or else I'd of been getting an earful of your complaints. Who knew you being predictably annoying would one day save your life."

"All part of my evil plans, Red," Dick informed with a swift, if tired grin. Trying to not cry out as his injured arm was jostled when Red Hood finally released him from his chains. Glancing around at the downed thugs, Dick raised a questioning eyebrow at his brother.

"What? I didn't kill any of them."

Glancing around again, Nightwing asked, "Where's Two-Face?"

"Got away."

That caused Dick's focus to snap back to his brother. "And you let him?" There was no accusation in his voice, merely confusion and curiosity.

"Would you rather I leave your sorry ass and go after him?" Jason demanded, already knowing the answer he'd receive, getting the expected negative head shake. "Alright then, quit bitching at me and let's go. You need medical attention and I want a burger. Fortunately, I know where we can get both."

The End.

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_Author's Note: This one was mostly written by me, with help from Carson. It is being posted on her account simply to keep the series together on one, rather than make readers search all over for the next installment. Easier for everyone, I say, but Carson took a bit of convincing. The poor dear didn't want it to seem like she was taking credit for my work. I do so love her. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this newest installment in Red Bird, Blue Bird. I believe this is to be number six or seven in the series, but that is just a guestimation. So, yeah, we have quite a few more either planned or in the works. Also, I do apologize if there were any glaring errors in this story. I am usually good at spotting them, but I just had my wisdom teeth removed yesterday, so I am a tad off my game. But too bored to just lay in bed when I have stories I could be working on. I'll have Carson look it over after she wakes up from her nap. xD Ta for now! Love ya all! Take care! God bless!_

_-TheOneThatGotAway99_

Editor's Note: Well, I am up. I looked it over. TheOneThatGotAway sure knows me. Ha! I am not taking any credit for her story. The story is all hers. Not in any way mine. I couldn't torture any of my favorite characters. xD But I did enjoy this one. Anyways! Always love reviews. But here ya go! You know we don't own any DC Characters or places. But love you all!

-Carson


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